Railroad-track structure



EX ECHT/W X March 12, 1929. w, ORD

RAILROAD TRACK -STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 1f?, 1927 Patented Mair. i2, 1929.

UNITED v'smiTri/s WILLi'AM ORD, DECEASED, yLATE or CHICAGO, ILL'INois, BY transfer rnfrriBoNn LPAr mi* oFFicE ORD, EXECUTRIIQOF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. i

RAILROAD-TRACK STRUCTURE.

Application. flied November 17, i927. serial iro. 233,770.

This Yinvention relates to improvements in railroad track structures'and it consists of the matters hereinafter described yand more jnirticu'larly pointed out in the appended claim.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved track for industrial and similar narrow gage railways,V which .may be -easily laid without the necessity of the usual'supporting cross ties, which needs no particular surfacing or other preparation of road bed preliminary to the laying of the track and which is stronger yet'lighter in weight than the track structure heretofore employed for the same purpose.

A further object of theinvention'is tol provide atrack of the kind which will greatly reduce the cost of making -and maintaining a road bed therefor because it includes rails of a peculiar character which form` their own seats in rough and uneven ground and act to so engage and compact that por.l

Fig. 3 is a View in side elevation of a` fragment of the improved railroad track.

Fig. t is a transverse vertical section on a further enlarged scale through one of the rails embodied in the improved track.

Referring now in detail to that embodiment of the invention illustrated'in the accoinpanying drawings. The improved track includes two parallel spaced rails, each made up of rail sections 1 1, with the ends of abutting rail sections of each lrail connected or secured togetherby the usual fish plates or splice bar sections 2, the rail sections in one rail being so disposed as to bring the joints in one rail opposite the inidportion of the sections in the other rail so that the joints of the rails invtrack are staggered. The rails are suitably connected together at spaced intervals by tie bars `Sthe construction of which will more fully appear later.

As the construction of the rail sections .in

each rail is the saine, afdetail descriptionof one will suffice for both. Each rail sect-ion includes an upright web 5 with a head 6 at the top endl thereof and a base `7 atthe bottom end thereof; The major portio-n of bottom surfaceB of thebase is'substantially flat and horizontal while the top surface of said base is inclined downwardly and.

outwardly from the weby whose portions 9a of said top surface adjacent the web being inclined in planes, corresponding to the under sides GfL ofthe raillieads, whilethose portions 9 extending outwardly therefrom are inclined at lesser angles. The marginal` portions of the base are bent downwardly upongenerous corners or4 curves to form substantially upright side flanges 10-10 re' spec-tively. In tliefmanufacture of said railv sections, said marginal portions extend hori-y zontally as showngbyV the dotted lines lOin Fig. 4,"the last pass throughthe rolls turning the said marginal portions downwardly to provide said flanges. i

As before stated, the rail sections of o posite rails are connected together by the tie bars 3. Each tie bar includes a bolt body 11 which extends through suitablev holes 12 in the web 5 of the rail sections, and through suitable holes in washer like meinbersl'on each side of said web, the outer ends of the bolts being threaded to receive lthe nuts 141-14. The washer like members 13, arek preferably madefrom short pieces of standard splice bar sections, so that the bevelled top and bottom surfaces thereof may be drawn into snug fitting engagement with the under side of the rail head and the top surface portions 9at of tlie'rail base. To space the rails and to maintain them in parallelism in the` proper gage, I provide a spacing sleevel ortube 15 which surrounds the major portions of the bolts and engages at its ends with the inner washer like members 13-13 as best shown in Fig. 2. v

In laying theimproved track, the base portion of each rail section is'engagod upon the .ground'chosen therefor with flanges 10 resting upon the surface thereof. The sec- Vtions of opposite rails are then connected together by the tie bars 3 as before described and vthe Vsections in each lrail are connected by the splice bars 2. In use, when an industrial or like train is run' overI the the ground directly beneath the base' which" will tend to push thecsaine downward and outward as indicated by thear'rows 17 in in Fig. "The outwardinovement of the ground beneath the rail base is'checked or resisted by the side flanges 10-10 andthe downward' movement thereof is resisted by the ground portion below' the level of the bottoni edges of the'V flanges which in fact presents. a counter force in the direction of the arrows 18 in Fig. 4 with the result that a compaction takes place in that ground portion immediately below the base, which provides an ample support forthe rails and load imposed thereon. When laid upon uneven ,ground the rails make their own seats and any tendency toward a lateral shifting or movement of the rails is resisted by the action ofthe side flanges. Y' It is'apparent that with the rails of the Vimproved track positioned as described, di-

rectly upon the ground, the rails receive more support 'than in ordinary narrow gage track employing cross ties. Therefore, it

'is' capable of bearing more tiaiiic without sinking` and maybe made lighter yin weight at a kgreatly.reduced cost. A trackl made as described greatly reduces the cost of making a Aroad bed therefor and maintaining the same and at the same time may be easily laid and removed and transportedfrom` placev to Vplace Aof use.

l/Vhile indescribing the invention, many details of embodiment ofpmechanical construction as well as form and arrangement of the parts therefor have been referred to, the saine is toL be' taken as by way of illustration only except as may be pointed out in the appended claim.

The invention claimed:

A narrow gage railway track embodying therein parallel rails adapted to be laid directly upon tlieground, each rail having a web', a head at the upper end of the Web and a base at the lower end, the base having a flat underneathV surface With lateral margins turned downwardly on relatively Wide arcs ends with the washer-like members on the inner surfaces of said rails.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, this 14th day ofNovember, 1927. HARRIET' PETTIBONE ORD,`

Deceased;

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